Are you tired of attending to your boss? If so, you’re one of the hundreds of thousands who decided the start of the 2020s was time for a big change—to be their own bosses.

This lifestyle suits graphic designers and other creative professionals well. Freelance graphic designers do more with their time compared to graphic design salary workers doing management’s busy work.

Graphic designer freelancing is fulfilling and can be profitable, but building a successful freelance graphic design startup is easier said than done. Keep reading for some must-know tips to put you on the right track.

1. Master the Boring Stuff

Being your boss is awesome, but for most, it also means you have a lot of boring duties: being the human resources department, an IT person, and staying on top of finances.

Whether or not you do your own taxes, it’s vital to make sure you have all your client records and receipts in order. Using a business invoice template is a good first step toward that goal. Know your limitations, too, and get professional help when you feel in over your head.

2. Learn From Other Freelance Graphic Designers

One big mistake freelancers make is thinking the only way how to be a graphic designer and succeed is by shunning competitors. Doing this shuts down learning opportunities and chances to grow.

In a subjective and variable field like graphic design, talking to competitors often helps more than it hurts. There’s no secret formula: You can learn how to be a graphic designer from already-established freelancers without risking their stealing your trade secrets.

Even competitors who target your clients are good to keep close to stay abreast of what they’re up to. You’ll know what kind of changes you must make to keep your graphic design business afloat. 

3. Accept Change and Keep Learning

Learning your best talents and specializing will lay the foundation for your freelance graphic design startup. Still, don’t stop there after getting the basics figured out and getting clients lined up. Getting too comfortable is a professional death sentence in the design world.

If you don’t learn new design trends or aim to understand your changing client base and target demographic, you won’t be a top choice for long. Trying to learn how to start a graphic design business is a bit of a trick because it’s not something you can learn and follow for life.

In a way, you’ll start and restart your business many times in a graphic designer freelancing career. It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong because dramatic change is an unavoidable part of the industry. If you start feeling too comfortable and traditional in your workplace, modern clients will move on to someone else in no time.

Tech Facts and Tips for the Modern Professional

This information on how to start a graphic design business and keep it afloat are must-know tips for freelance graphic designers in a growing field ripe with talent.

If you want other technology and professional tips to enrich and boost your career dreams, you’re in the right place. Read one of our other articles for more help living a self-employed lifestyle and other handy, modern business tips.